Since 1870, levels of pupils' absence from maintained schools in Wales have always been higher than those in England. Since devolution in 1999, the Welsh government has tried exceedingly hard to improve this situation. Despite much effort, improving school attendance in Wales is proving stubbornly difficult to achieve. The present article considers the recent efforts by the Welsh government since devolution to improve school attendance in Wales, describes and analyses the present position and looks forward to the new challenges ahead after the National Behaviour and Attendance Review period and towards the creation of a new all-Wales action plan, which hopes not only to improve school attendance rates but also to help to raise standards.